Coin-controlled mechanism for vending-machines.



E.- C. FAIN.

Com CONTROLLED MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES.

. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21,1916- 1,;9J4,187, PatentedSept. 18, 1917.

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com CONTROLLED MECHANISM FOR-VENDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21. 1916.

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Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

Witwcoo Y T 0 all whom it may concern:

EDWARD C. FAIN, OF WETUMPKA, ALABAMA.

COIN-CONTROLLED MECHANISM FOR VENDING-MACHINES.

Be it known that I, EDWARD C. FAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wetumpka, in the county of Elmore and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Mechanisms for Vending-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

- proper size is deposited in the machine.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proport on, size and minor details of construction, withvention.

In the drawings Figure 1 1s a front elevation of coin controlled mechanism constructed in accordance with this lnvention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same partly in section,

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4: is a detail sectional view'on the line 4:4= of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view illustrating the construction of the coin chute closure.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 indicates a sub- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

Application filed. October 21, 1916. Serial No. 126,940.

cut-off provided at its ends with circular heads 2 and 3 having outwardly projecting longitudinally disposed journals a mounted in suitable bearings of a standard 5 and an arm 6 of a bearing bracket 7. The rotary valve or cut-01f is arranged to operate in conJunction with an inclined bottle chute 8 designed to be constructed similar to that illustrated in my co-pending application executed of even date herewith for an improvement in bottle vending machines. The head 3 is provided with a segmental series of spur teeth 9 arranged to mesh with a pinion 10 mounted on a suitable stub shaft or pivot 11 and rotated in opposite directions by the means hereinafter described to first rotate the cut-off or valve in one direction and then in the opposite direction to carry the said cut-ofl or valve from its closed to its open position and vice versa for successively feeding bottles. The pinion 10 meshes with lower teeth 12 of a slidable rack bar 13 provided also with upper teeth 14. The slidable rack bar which is also provided with upper and lower longitudinal flanges 15 to slide in a way 16 of the standard 5 has its lower rack continually in mesh with the pinion 10 and its upper rack formed by the teeth 14: is normally spaced from a toothed quadrant or gear 17 secured by a set screw or other suitable means to a horizontal shaft 18 and being a part of a gear proportioned two to one to the pinion so that a quarter revolution of the quadrant 17 will rotate the pinion 10 and the cut-oif or valve one-half a revolution, the toothed head 3 of the valve being the same diameter as the pinion 10. The upper rack 14 is shorter than the lower rack 12 and the shaft 18 and an operating lever may be freely oscillated without communicating any movement to the rack bar when there is no coin deposited in the mechanism.

The coin for operatingthe mechanism or for enabling the mechanism to be operated by the lever is deposited in a coin chute consisting of a fixed inclined upper section 20 provided intermediate of its ends with a quarter bend 21 and having its lower end located above an upper tapered or funnel shaped portion 22 of a vertically disposed movable section 23 of the coin chute or tube. The movable section 23 is mounted on a link 24 pivoted at its upper end at 25 to a bracket 26 and having its lower ends pivoted at 26 to the inner or rear end of the link 27 The link 27 is pivoted by a pin 28 to the toothed quadrant at one end of the series of teeth of the toothed quadrant. By this construction the movable section will swing with the quadrant and the operating lever when the latter is oscillated.

The upper rack oi the rack bar is normally maintained out of engagement with the teeth of the toothed quadrant by a coiled spring 27 connected at one end to the rack bar and at the other end to the casing 28 and adapted also to return the cut-oil or valve to its initial position after an. operation of the machine in which the .coin controlled mechanism is installed. The operating mechanism is also returned to its initial position by a coiled spring 29 secured at one end to the casing'and at the illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This will enable the operating mechanism to actuate the rack bar sutliciently to carry the' latter intoposition for engaging or mesh- 1ng with the toothed quadrant and when the quadrant meshes with the upper rack of the slidable rack bar a continued movement of the parts will serve to free the coin and permit the same to roll down the inclined bottom of the notch or recess.

is deposited in the same.

By this construction only a coin or check of the proper size will produce an operation of themachine and if desired the coin controlled mechanism may be equipped with any desired form of coin detector so that only a operating mechanism. 'Thisywill permit the rack bar to be engaged by the quadrant and a full stroke of the operating lever or handle 19 will rotate the pinion and the cutoff or .valve one-half of a revolution and cause the discharge of a bottle or other object. After the machine has been operated through the. forward or outward movement of the handle, the parts will be returnedto their initial position by the coiled spring and it willbe impossible to secure a second operation of the machine until a second coin The horizontal shaft which may be of any desired length can be connected with any number of sets of coin controlled devices so that one or more of such coin controlled devices may be operated at each operation of the hori zontal shaft. By this construction, a plurality of coin controlled devices may be 0perated either independently or simultaneously.

The rack bar is limited in its forward movement by a projection 01' pin 38 which is arranged to engage the standard 5 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

The slot or inlet of each of the coin tubes or chutes is automatically clos cd'bya ver tical slidable plate .or closure 34; carried by a suitable rod 35 and movable upwardly and downwardly through a recess or slot 36 to open and close the coin chute. rod operates in suitable guides 37 and it is connected at its lower end to a lever 38 pivoted at an intermediate point at 39 and having a depressible plate or portion 40 located in the path of and adapted to be maintained in a depressed condition by the bottle adjacent to the cut-off or valve and when the last bottle has been discharged from the apparatus the lever is automatically movable to cause the plate or closure to cover the coin slot and prevent a coin from being introduced into, the vending ma chine. 1

What is claimed is 1. Coin controlled mechanism including an oscillatory gear, a movable coin chute connected with the gear, a rack bar having its teeth normally out of mesh with the oscillatory gear, and provided with means adapted to be engaged by a coin for connecting the rack bar with the movable coin chute to cause a movement of the rack bar to carry its teeth into mesh with the oscillatory gear, the continued movement of the rack bar and the chute operating to dislodge the coin. v I

2. Coin controlled mechanism including The an oscillatory gear, o-perating mechanism connecteclwith the gear for actuating thesame, a pivotally mounted coin chuteconnected with the gear, aslidable rack bar having its teeth normally out of mesh with :the oscillatory gear, said rack bar extending beneath the coin chute when the latter isin its initial position and adapted to support a coin for connecting the rack bar with the chute to cause a preliminary movement of the rack bar to carry its teeth into mesh with the teeth of the oscillatory gear.

3. Coin controlled mechanism including an oscillatory gear, a pivoted coin chute mounted to swing on a horizontal axis, a link connecting the coin chute with the gear to cause'the former to swing in" union with the latter, a slidable rack bar having its teeth normally spaced from and arranged out of mesh with the teeth of the gear, said rack bar extending beneath and having coin receiving means adapted to support a coin in the lower end of the coin chute to cause a preliminary movement of the rack bar by the operating means to carry the teeth of the rack bar into mesh with the teeth of the said gear.

4:. Coin controlled mechanism including an oscillatory gear a rack bar located beneath and having its teeth normally arranged out of mesh with the rack bar, a pivotally mounted coin chute connected with the gear to swing in unison with the latter and arranged above the rack bar, the rack bar being provided with a coin receiving notch having a laterally inclined bottom and adapted to support a coin for connecting the rackbar with the operating means.

5. Coin controlled mechanism including a quadrant, a slidable rack bar located beneath the quadrant and having upper and lower racks, the upper rack being normally out of engagement with the quadrant, a movable coin chute connected with the quadrant and located above the rack bar for depositing a coin thereon for connecting the rack bar with the quadrant to carry the upper teeth of the rack bar into mesh with the said quadrant, a Valve or cut-ofl, and gearing for connecting the valve or cut-olf with the lower teeth of the rack bar.

6. Coin controlled mechanism including a coin chute having a fixed inclined section and a substantially vertical section provided with an enlarged tapered portion located beneath the lower end of the inclinedsection, said vertical section being movable, an oscillatory gear connected with the movable section of the coin chute, a rack bar located beneath the oscillatory gear, and having teeth normally arranged out of mesh with the said gear, said rack bar extending beneath the vertical coin chute section and provided with means for engaging a coin to support the same said coin operating to connect the rack bar with the coin chute and a valve or cut-01f actuated by the rack bar.

7. Coin controlled mechanism including an oscillatory gear, a movable coin chute connected with and actuated by the gear, a rack bar located beneath the gear and hav ing teeth normally arranged out of mesh with the said gear, and movable into position for meshing with the gear, said rack bar extending beneath the coin chute and provided with means for engaging the coin to connect the rack bar with the oscillatory gear and separate means for automatically returning the oscillatory gear and the rack bar to their initial position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDW'ARD C. FAIN. Witnesses:

H. F. KEITH, BENNETT S. JONES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

